Reusable self-inflating umbrella

ABSTRACT

A reusable, self-inflating umbrella comprising an inflatable envelope ( 11 ) made of a flexible material and an inflation mechanism ( 12 ). The interior of the envelope ( 11 ) can be connected to the inflation mechanism ( 12 ), in which a gaseous substance with which the interior of the envelope ( 11 ) is inflated can be generated by a chemical reaction. The chemical reaction may consist in dissolving a sodium (bi)carbonate granulate in citric acid. The citric acid may be accommodated in a container which is made to rupture by pressure being applied externally to the inflation mechanism ( 12 ) by a user, thus triggering the chemical reaction.

The present invention relates to a reusable, self-inflating umbrellacomprising an inflatable envelope and an inflation mechanism.

Conventional umbrellas in everyday use are generally relatively bulkydevices that are often inconvenient to handle. They are annoyingparticularly when they are not being used, i.e. as long as theanticipated rain has not yet started, or when it has stopped raining. Inaddition, they are often left behind or forgotten, due to the very factthat they are not easily transportable. This, in turn, often leads tothem not being taken when no rain is expected. If it starts to rainafter all, one is largely unprotected, or tries to protect oneselfagainst the rain in a makeshift manner by holding items such as bags, orarticles of clothing such as jackets and the like, over one's head, butwith the consequence that these items and clothing articles are damaged.

Since this basic problem has long been known, partly telescopingumbrellas were designed a long time ago that require substantially lessspace when closed than is the case with conventional umbrellas, butwhich are still relatively large and bulky. Although it is possible toaccommodate these in a bag or the like that one is carrying, theconsiderable weight of such umbrellas is annoyingly noticeable. If thereis no intention to carry a bag, umbrellas of the latter kind arelikewise impracticable to transport.

The problems outlined in the foregoing are further exacerbated by thefact that changes in global climate conditions could lead to localweather conditions changing more quickly from one extreme to the other.Within a few hours or an even shorter period of time, the weathersituation and particularly the likelihood of rain can therefore changein a fundamental way. This gives rise to a need to be able to protectoneself against sudden rain showers in effectively any outdoorsituation.

It can be seen from the published prior art that one aim in improvingthe ease of handling of umbrellas is to reduce their bulkiness, i.e. todecrease the number and/or size of bulky parts in umbrellas. Thebulkiness of conventional umbrellas is due, in particular, to the handlemember, the central support rod and the radial struts which tension thescreening material. One aim of further developments must therefore be toreplace these elements with other elements that functionally areapproximately equivalent.

In a number of documents, it has therefore been proposed to configure anumbrella as an inflatable umbrella that is inflated for use and canotherwise be transported in a practicable manner in a folded-togetherform. A gas-filled envelope replaces the screening material commonlytensioned by metal struts, thus ensuring the necessary stiffness.

Document DE 20 2004 002 172 U1 describes an umbrella or sunshade whichis provided with an inflatable umbrella- or disk-shaped air chambercoupled to a compressed air cartridge. By means of a valve which can beactuated by a push-button, it is possible to control the supply of airfrom the cartridge to the air chamber. When the umbrella or sunshade isno longer needed, the air is released from the air chamber by means ofthe valve and the umbrella or sunshade is folded together and stowed ina case.

In document U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,700, a compact, self-inflating umbrellafor once-only use is proposed. The umbrella is provided with a case, thebottom portion of which serves as a handle when using the umbrella.Inside the case, near the bottom thereof, a pressure vessel filled witha pressurised boiling liquid is disposed. Above said vessel, theinflatable shielding screen is stowed away in a folded state inside thecase. When in use, a closure element of the pressure vessel is brokenaway by external mechanical action so that the liquid escapes throughthe opening thus produced, expands thereby and is guided as a gaseoussubstance into the inflatable chambers of the screening shield. As aresult of the air chambers being inflated, the screening shield ispressed out of the upper part of the case and unfolds to its full size.The umbrella is thrown away after one use.

US patent specification 1,200,616 teaches the use of chemical substancesin the context of designing life vests, and DE 198 13 579 A1 teaches theuse of chemical substances to inflate a balloon. In U.S. Pat. No.3,889,700, a propellant unit is located inside the envelope of aumbrella.

For several reasons, these different approaches to solving theaforementioned problem have not been able to establish themselves bywidespread use. Firstly, the proposed umbrellas include bulky elementssuch as handle members, cases or gas production devices, with the resultthat, in the unopened state, they are still too bulky and require toomuch space. In other words, a decisive technical advance compared tostandard telescoping pocket umbrellas cannot be achieved with suchapproaches. Secondly, the gas production devices provided in them forinflating the screening shield are too complex in design and tooexpensive to produce, with the consequence that inflatable umbrellasproduced in this manner, especially those for once-only use, can not beoffered at an attractive price.

The object of the present invention is therefore to specify aself-inflating umbrella which is space-saving when not in use and whichcan also be produced with less production effort. More particularly, theobject of the present invention is to define a reusable, self-inflatingumbrella which essentially no longer contains any bulky elements.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Advantageousdevelopments and configurations of the invention are described insubclaims.

A self-inflating umbrella according to the present invention comprisesan inflatable envelope made of flexible material and an inflationmechanism, wherein a gaseous substance with which the inflatableenvelope can be inflated can be produced inside the inflation mechanismby means of a chemical reaction.

The present invention thus proceeds from the basic realisation that thedevices proposed in the published prior art for providing or producing agas for inflating the shielding envelope are invariably too voluminousin design and therefore too bulky, since the medium to be used forinflation must be enclosed in a pressure-tight container when not inuse, be it in the form of a compressed air cartridge or a pressurisedboiling liquid enclosed in a container.

One essential idea of the present invention is therefore to provide thegaseous substance for inflating the umbrella in some other manner thatobviates the need to use bulky containers. This is made possible by thepresent invention.

The inventive idea provides the basis for storing certain startingsubstances, with the aid of which the gaseous substance is to beproduced, without using rigid pressure vessels as storage. Moreparticularly, two or more chemical substances are disposed, as startingsubstances for the chemical reaction, spatially separate from each otherinside the inflation mechanism, and the chemical reaction can betriggered, when the object is used, by the chemical starting substancescoming into contact with each other. This basically obviates the needfor the chemical starting substances to be accommodated in rigid,pressure-tight containers. It is not even necessary, in essence, forthem to be accommodated in containers at all when in their initialstate.

However, one exemplary and advantageous embodiment provides that atleast one of the two chemical substances is accommodated in a containerwhich can be opened externally by the effect of pressure, such that thechemical substance contained therein is released and can come intocontact with the respective other chemical substance. For example, itcan then be arranged that the container is disposed at a definedposition inside the inflation mechanism, and that a marking is appliedat a location on the outer wall of the inflation mechanism which isclosest to said position. The marking serves to indicate to the userthat the marked place be pressed in case of use, thus opening thecontainer by the effect of pressure. The container may be provided, forexample, with a flexible outer skin, so that the container can be madeto rupture by pressure being applied to it, and the chemical substancecontained therein can escape.

In one preferred embodiment, the inflation mechanism can be connected tothe inflatable envelope by means of a valve, and separated from it againafter inflation has been carried out. This permits the gaseous substanceproduced by the chemical reaction to flow into the inflatable envelopeand to remain in the envelope after the inflation mechanism has beendetached.

In another embodiment, the inflation mechanism can be connected to theinflatable envelope without using a valve, in which case the inflationmechanism remains connected to the inflated envelope after inflation inorder to prevent the gaseous substance from escaping from the inflatedenvelope.

It is possible in both embodiments to release the gaseous substance fromthe envelope again after using the umbrella, either by opening to valveor by separating the inflation mechanism from the envelope so that thegaseous substance can escape into the surroundings. The inflatableenvelope can be folded up until needed again and connected to a newinflation mechanism for its next use.

With regard to the starting substances for the chemical reaction, afirst chemical substance may contain or consist of a solid, and a secondchemical substance may contain or consist of a liquid, and when thesubstances come into contact, the chemical reaction may consist in thesolid being dissolved by the liquid, with the gaseous substance beingone of the reaction products. In one practical embodiment, the solid maycontain or consist of sodium carbonate (washing soda) or sodiumbicarbonate (baking soda), and the second chemical substance may containan acid. When said solids are dissolved in the acid, gaseous CO₂ isproduced as the reaction product. Citric acid, practicably as aningredient of lemon juice, or malic acid may be used as the acid.

As an alternative to the choice of material proposed above for the firstand second chemical substance, a different solid which can be dissolvedin a liquid may be chosen for the first chemical substance such that agaseous substance such as CO₂ or O₂ is released when the solid isdissolved in the liquid. For example, the solid may also be provided bya kind of effervescent powder, and the liquid in the simplest case bywater, so that the desired result of a chemical reaction, with theformation of a gaseous substance, can likewise be achieved.

The solid should preferably be present in the form of a powder orgranulate, so that it has as much free surface exposed to the liquid aspossible.

A handle member in the form of a flexible loop may also be provided at aposition on the outer wall of the envelope.

With the present invention and, where relevant, with the developmentsand embodiments specified in the foregoing, it is possible for theself-inflating umbrella to be folded together in its initial state to avery space-saving size, or for storing it when not in use, since it nolonger has any bulky, space-consuming parts.

In the folded-together form, it can be carried easily in a jacket ortrouser pocket. When needed, it can be activated by applying pressure tothe marking on the outer skin of the inflation mechanism so that thechemical reaction is initiated inside it. Due to the vacuum inside theenvelope or inside the chambers to be inflated, when in the initialstate, the gaseous substance produced by the chemical reaction flowsvery rapidly into the envelope or chambers and inflates these veryquickly, with the result that the umbrella is available within a veryshort time.

The invention shall now be described in greater detail with reference topreferred embodiments and to the drawings in the Figures, in which:

in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view (seen at an angle from above) of a firstembodiment of a self-inflating umbrella in the inflated state;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view (from below) of the first embodiment asshown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of theenvelope of the self-inflating umbrella;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-section through the inflation mechanism in onepreferred embodiment; and

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view (seen at an angle from above) of anotherembodiment of a self-inflating umbrella according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view from above of a first embodiment of aself-inflating umbrella according to the invention, The self-inflatingumbrella 10 essentially comprises an inflatable envelope 11 made of aflexible material, for example of a suitable plastic material such aspolypropylene or the like. A suitable film material may also be used, asan alternative. When not in use, i.e. prior to inflation or afterreleasing the gaseous substance, there is a vacuum inside envelope 11,so the envelope can be folded together into a very small space. Envelope11 is produced in such a way that, when inflated, it adopts the shape ofa dome as shown in FIG. 1, which can be held above one's head as aprotection against rain. In the perspective view seen at an angle frombelow as shown in FIG. 2, it can be seen that a loop 13 made of aflexible material is attached to a central portion on the concave sideof the dome, through which loop a hand can be placed when in use, sothat the umbrella 10 can be held securely and reliably above thecarrier's head. The umbrella 10 can be produced in different sizes. Inthe smallest embodiment, the diameter of the dome is just large enoughfor the head of the user to be covered. In somewhat larger embodiments,the dome can have a diameter of such size that the shoulder area of theuser is covered as well.

An inflation mechanism 12, which in a plan view can have a circular orrectangular form, can be mounted on envelope 11. Production of thegaseous substance for activating and inflating umbrella 10 occurs in theinflation mechanism 12.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-section through a preferred embodiment of envelope11. The inflation mechanism 12 can be mounted on connecting piece 14. Inone preferred embodiment of the invention, connecting piece 14 containsa valve which prevent the gaseous substance from escaping from theinflated envelope after removal of inflation mechanism 12. However, itis also conceivable that connecting piece 14 is mainly used only forestablishing the detachable connection to inflation mechanism 12, forexample by means of a screw connection, and that the inflation mechanismremains connected to the envelope as long as the gaseous substance is tostay in the envelope. Connecting piece 14 need not be located on the topside of the umbrella, as shown in FIG. 3, but may also be mountedcentrally on the underside of the umbrella, or on the edge of theumbrella, for example.

FIG. 4 shows one embodiment of inflation mechanism 12 in cross-section.A container 12.2 containing citric acid or lemon juice is located insidea chamber or envelope. Laterally adjacent to container 12.2, a granulateor powder 12.3 consisting of washing soda (sodium carbonate) or bakingsoda (sodium bicarbonate) is disposed. A marking is applied to the outerside of the chamber or envelope. The outer wall of the envelope orchamber can be pressed in at this marking as far as container 12.2, suchthat container 12.2 can be compressed and made to rupture. As analternative to marking 12.4, the outer skin of the envelope or chambermay be either wholly transparent, or transparent only in the region ofcontainer 12.2, so that the user can visually perceive container 12.2and can also observe the gas production process after container 12.2 hasbeen forced to rupture.

Container 12.2 may consist of a small envelope or bag which is shapedout of plastic and filled with citric acid or lemon juice, and which issquare in shape and welded together at one or more of its lateralboundaries. When compressed, the envelope preferably tears at one orseveral of these seams. As is shown in FIG. 4, suitable precautions canbe taken so that container 12.2 ruptures on one side only, and hencethat its contents escape in one direction only, namely in the directionof the granulate 12.3. As shown, container 12.2 may be additionallyreinforced at three lateral boundaries. When compressed, container 12.2thus ruptures on the left side only. A production-related seam may belocated there, or a predetermined breaking point, such as a perforationor the like, may be alternatively or additionally provided in the outerskin of container 12.2.

After container 12.2 has ruptured, the liquid contained therein escapesrapidly because of the vacuum inside inflation mechanism 12. However, itis essential to ensure that the lemon juice flows over granulate 12.3 ina directed manner and as completely as possible in order to bring aboutthe chemical reaction, i.e. the dissolution of the sodium (bi)carbonategranulate 12.3. The inflation mechanism 12 has a connecting piece 12.1with which a connection can be established with envelope 11, so that thegas released by the reaction can flow out of the inflation mechanisminto envelope 11. However, to prevent the liquid and/or granulate 12.3escaping from container 12.2 from getting inside envelope 11, connectingpiece 12.1 is provided with a membrane 12.4. Said membrane 12.4 consistsof a material which is permeable to the gaseous substance produced bythe chemical reaction, i.e. gaseous CO₂ in the present embodiment, or itis provided alternatively with a dense network of pores through whichonly the gaseous substance can pass. Membrane 12.4 is simultaneouslyimpermeable to both the liquid and the granulate. To this end, theliquid may, for example, have a surface tension which ensures that itcannot pass through the pores of membrane 12.4.

In the chosen embodiment, the granulate consists of washing soda, i.e.sodium carbonate with the chemical formula Na₂CO₃, or of baking soda,i.e. sodium bicarbonate with the chemical formula NaHCO₃. In the presentembodiment, the acid used to dissolve the sodium (bi)carbonate granulateis citric acid with the chemical formula C₆H₈O₇. Lemon juice contains5-7% citric acid, so it is possible in the simplest case for container12.2 to contain lemon juice. Gaseous CO₂ is produced as a reactionproduct when the sodium (bi)carbonate granulate is dissolved in citricacid. The equation for this chemical reaction is the following:

3Na₂CO₃+2C₆H₈O₇==>3H₂O+3CO₂+2C₆H₅O₇−3+6Na+

or, expressed in words:

Sodium carbonate+citric acid==>water+carbon dioxide+sodium citrate

However, it is also possible for a different acid, for example aceticacid, to be used to dissolve the granulate.

The gaseous CO₂ thus produced escapes very rapidly through the pores ofmembrane 12.4, via the connection comprising connection pieces 12.1 and14, into the interior of envelope 11, thus inflating envelope 11. Thebase portion of envelope 11 may have a slightly greater thickness in theregion around loop 13 than the rest of the outer skin of envelope 11, inorder to ensure the requisite stability and strength in said region. Asshown in FIG. 3, loop 13 made of flexible material is externallyattached to said base portion. Loop 13 preferably consists of a thin,space-saving layer of a suitable plastic material such as polypropylene.The outer edge of envelope 11 is also shown in FIG. 3. As can be seen,an upper envelope portion 11.1 can be welded together in this regionwith a lower envelope portion 11.2 along a circumferential seam 11.3.For a person skilled in the art, it is self-evident that respectivewelding seams and connecting pieces 12.1 and 14 must be embodied in sucha way that they essentially permit no gaseous substance to escape.

After using the umbrella, the gaseous substance may be released againfrom the interior of envelope 11 by opening the valve in connectingpiece 14, or by disconnecting the envelope and the inflation mechanism.When the filling gas has been let out, envelope 11 can be foldedtogether again, for example to form a square package. Folding is done insuch a way that connecting piece 14 remains accessible in the foldedstate. A new inflation mechanism can be attached to connecting piece 14either immediately or the next time the umbrella is used, in order tore-inflate the umbrella. The inflation mechanisms are disposable itemsthat can be disposed of after they have been used once. The pack, whichmay be square-shaped, and the trigger mechanism are so small that theycan easily be carried in a pocket of an article of clothing. If desired,however, the square pack can be kept with the trigger mechanism in anadapted case, in particular to avoid the umbrella being unintentionallytriggered.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view, seen at an angle from above, of asecond embodiment of a self-inflating umbrella according to theinvention. Unlike the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, theself-inflating umbrella 20 has an envelope 21 which is provided with anumber of inflatable channels 21.1 projecting radially from a centralchamber 22, between which channels single-layered regions 21.2 notshaped as envelopes extend. Although an umbrella 20 of this kind issomewhat more complicated to manufacture, it can be inflated morequickly when used, because only channels 21.1 and hence less volume needto be filled with the gaseous substance that is produced. Instead ofseven channels 21.1, as shown in FIG. 5, more channels or less channels,for example only two or three channels, may also be used. As in thepreviously described embodiment, connecting piece 14 (not shown in FIG.5) for connecting to the inflation mechanism can be centrally mounted onthe top side or underside of the umbrella. However, it is also possibleto attach the connecting piece to the end of one of channels 21.1.

The invention relates also to an inflatable balloon in which the sameprinciple is applied as in the umbrella described above, and in whichall the other details and features can be applied as described above inconnection with the umbrella. Before it is used, the balloon may have avacuum inside it. The balloon can have a connecting piece 14, asdescribed in the foregoing, located anywhere thereon. With the aid ofsaid connecting piece, the balloon can be connected to the inflationmechanism or inflation device 12 and then be inflated automatically bymeans of the gaseous substance produced therein. A simple toy balloon,in particular in the form of a foil balloon, may be used, for example.

In its simplest embodiment, the balloon can consist of two parts, inparticular foils, which are welded to each other at their respectivecircumferential rums and thus form a closed envelope. The two foils maybe congruent with each other, i.e. they can be laid on top of each otherin a perfect overlap. When inflated, the foils can also produce a figuresuch as an animal or the like. A variety of shapes for the inflatedballoon are conceivable. In the simple case, the foils can also becircular in shape, so that the inflated balloon is shaped substantiallylike a ball or globe. The balloon can also be used as an advertisingmedium by printing an advertising message on the outer surface of theenvelope.

In addition to the embodiments described in the foregoing, the inventionalso relates to any other kind of inflatable object that can be inflatedwith the aid of the inflation mechanism or inflation device 12. They canhave a connecting piece 14 as described above located anywhere thereon,with the aid of which the balloon can be connected to the inflationmechanism or inflation device 12 and then inflated by the gaseoussubstance produced therein. Some sample applications and examples ofsuch objects shall now be described, although the description merelyprovides examples and is not to be interpreted as limiting theinvention. An inflated object may essentially take any shape whatsoever.

The object may be inflatable packaging, for example. It may or may notbe preformed. The packaging can self-inflate and wrap or be wrappedaround an item to be packaged. The object can also be an inflatable tirefor a motor vehicle. It can likewise be an inflatable lifejacket orinflatable life buoy, and each of these objects can be maintenance-free.Other aids for emergency situations, particularly outdoors, can also berealised. For example, the object can be a large, inflatable article ofclothing (jackets, coats, gloves, shoes, etc.), a protective tent or asleeping bag as protection against the cold in the event of temperaturedrops or accidents in remote areas in winter. Such utensils can also bedeployed when people must unexpectedly or undesignedly sleep outdoors,particularly in cold weather conditions. The gaseous substance used toinflate the object is a good thermal insulator, namely. This effect canbe reinforced if the envelope of the object is coated with at least onethermally insulating material. A coating with metal, e.g. with anodisedaluminium, would be one possibility, for example.

The object can be an inflatable beach ball, water-polo ball or someother shape-retaining or non-shape-retaining bathing accessory, such asan airbed. It can also be an inflatable swimming pool or inflatablepool. Other applications in homes and gardens are likewise conceivable.For example, the object could be a mattress, a cushion, or the like.Such an object can be provided for guests and stored away in aspace-saving manner whenever there are no guests in the house. Owing tothe thermal insulation effect of the gaseous substance used forinflating, as mentioned above, applications that exploit this effect inparticular are also conceivable. For example, the object can be aninflatable cool box, an inflatable cooler bag, an inflatable thermalbag, etc., wherein the efficiency of the thermal insulation can beincreased for its part by means of a metal coating, e.g. an eloxalcoating. A spontaneous purchase of deep-frozen goods or ice-cream isthus made possible even at higher ambient temperatures, without havingto carry around a space-consuming utensil such as a conventional coolbox. A thermal bag or Thermos flask can also replace a conventionalThermos can if warm or cold beverages, etc. are to be taken along. Manyother applications of the invention are conceivable. For example, theobject can also be used as fire protection, in that the gaseoussubstance used for inflating the object can function as an extinguishinggas. This effect can be reinforced if the envelope of the objectconsists of a fire-retardant or fire-resistant material.

The solutions described above are technically simple, cost-efficient,reliable and maintenance-free. They permit space-saving storage ofinflatable objects when these are not in use, and they are highlyefficient. In addition, different pressures can be produced by means ofdifferent dosages of the chemical substances used to produce the gas,thus making it possible to realise objects with very high form stabilityor also of less high form stability.

1. A self-inflating umbrella comprising an inflatable envelope (11) madeof flexible material and an inflation mechanism (12) which can beconnected detachably and gas-tight to the inflatable envelope (11),wherein two or more chemical substances are disposed spatially separatefrom each other inside the inflation mechanism (12) which trigger achemical reaction when they come into contact with each other, thusgenerating a gaseous substance for inflating the inflatable envelope(11), and wherein at least one of the two chemical substances isaccommodated in a container (12.2) having a flexible outer skin whichcan be opened by the effect of pressure.
 2. A self-inflating umbrellaaccording to claim 1, wherein the inflation mechanism (12) can beconnected to the inflatable envelope (11) via a valve and removed againafter inflation without any of the gaseous substance escaping from theinflated envelope.
 3. A self-inflating umbrella according to claim 1,wherein the inflation mechanism (12) can be connected to the inflatableenvelope (11) without a valve therebetween and remains connected to theenvelope after inflation until the gaseous substance is to escape againfrom the inflated envelope.
 4. A self-inflating object according toclaim 1, wherein a first chemical substance of the inflation mechanismcontains or consists of a solid, and a second chemical substancecontains or consists of a liquid, and the solid is dissolved by theliquid, wherein the gaseous substance is one of the resultant reactionproducts.
 5. A self-inflating object according to claim 1, wherein thefirst chemical substance is sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate andthe second chemical substance contains an acid, such that the reactionproduct resulting from the chemical reaction is gaseous CO₂.
 6. Aself-inflating umbrella according to claim 1, wherein the secondchemical substance contains or consists of citric acid.
 7. Aself-inflating umbrella according to claim 1, wherein the secondchemical substance contains or consists of lemon juice.
 8. Aself-inflating object according to claim 1, wherein the container (12.2)is disposed at a defined position inside the inflation mechanism, and amarking is applied at a location on the outer wall of the inflationmechanism which is closest to said position.
 9. A self-inflatingumbrella according to claim 1, wherein the inflation mechanism can bemounted centrally on the top side of the inflatable envelope.
 10. Aself-inflating umbrella according to claim 1, wherein the inflationmechanism can be mounted centrally on the underside of the inflatableenvelope.
 11. A self-inflating umbrella according to claim 1, whereinthe inflation mechanism can be mounted on the lateral edge of theinflatable envelope.
 12. A self-inflating object according to claim 1,wherein a handle member (13) in the form of a flexible loop is attachedat a position on the outer wall of the envelope (11).
 13. An inflationmechanism for inflating an inflatable object, wherein said inflationmechanism can be connected detachably and gas-tight to an inflatableenvelope (11) of the inflatable object, wherein two or more chemicalsubstances are disposed spatially separate from each other inside theinflation mechanism (12) which trigger a chemical reaction when theycome into contact with each other, thus generating a gaseous substancefor inflating the inflatable envelope (11), and wherein at least one ofthe two chemical substances is accommodated in a container (12.2) whichhas a flexible outer skin and which can be opened by the effect ofpressure.
 14. A self-inflating object according to claim 13, wherein theinflatable object is an umbrella.
 15. The use of an inflation mechanismaccording to claim 13 when inflating an inflatable object.